A PAIR of students from Hereford will be competing for a place for Great Britain at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics next week.

Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) students Kali Holder and Lois Turner are part of the six woman Great Britain Goalball team who will be competing in the IBSA Goalball International Qualifier in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, which gets underway on July 2.

Aaron Ford, the Head Coach is also Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme Delivery Site Lead at RNC

Goalball is a fast-paced team sport for people with a visual impairment.

It is played by two teams of three players. The objective of the game is to score by bowling the ball along the floor into the opposing team’s goal.

Achieving qualification will be the second time a Great Britain goalball team has made it to the Paralympics.

There was previously British representation at London 2012 as hosts, where the women’s team reached the quarter-finals, and at Sydney 2000.

Ford said: “The players are incredibly talented and ambitious. We’re delighted to select them to compete at Fort Wayne.

“This squad has been working together for a while now and have gained invaluable experience competing at many international competitions over the last few years. They have developed a magnificent spirit throughout the squad and their quality is undeniable.

“We know what the team is capable of achieving and everyone wants to realise a dream. The hard work starts now, and the women are determined to come back qualified as Paralympians."

The women’s GB squad fly to Fort Wayne on June 28, ahead of the competition getting underway on July 2, where they will face China, Israel, Australia, Germany, Korea and Spain in a group of seven.

To follow the progress of the women’s GB team, live broadcasts of competition from July 2 on the IBSA Goalball Facebook page and IBSA’s YouTube channel.

The IBSA Goalball International Qualifier is one of two opportunities to qualify for the Paralympics – the women’s GB squad will also compete for a place at the European Championships in Germany later this year.

For more information about the competition, please visit www.ibsafortwayne2019.com.